E230 Air Con HELP PLEASE!!!

[mlsports]

Hi guys!

I recently replaced my E230 Estate with an E55 Estate - and love it to pieces!

However, I have a problem with the E230 (1997 estate)!

I am preparing it to sell on but the main fan which blows the aircon out, demists the windcsreen etc has gone completely.

I took it to a garage and they looked into it for me. I was advised that Mercedes no longer manufacture the particular part, and so you cannot replace just the fan - you have to replace the fan and several parts that attach to it (he had a a diagram and I believe him actually). To replace all the parts from Mercedes was in the region of 500 - 600 pounds!!!!! Ouch!

So, they tried to buy in a second hand one for me. But they got the wrong fan somehow and it does not work at all.

So, I need to source a cheap one from a good breakers somewhere (remember I am selling the car and so can't afford to throw lots of money at it). But the problem is how the hell do I know which exact part it is (part number etc)? I am assuming that Mercedes fitted them with various fans and you need to know the actual one???

Any help with this is very, very much appreciated!!!!!!!

Help me please!

 

[greenfingers]

First of all, are you sure that the fault is the fan itself?

I reckon you need to check the circuitry before condemming the fan motor - that is unless it has been confirmed as faulty.
Did the garage actually test the fan motor, or did they just conclude that was the problem?

If you want to save some cash, then check everything you can yourself:- fuse, switch, relay, connections and so on. If you are convinced that it is the fan motor itself, then try connecting it directly to a 12V feed to verify your diagnosis.

Finally, even if the fan is the problem, don't give up on it - I bet it could be fixed with some WD40 or perhaps a soldering iron.
I'm not really an electrician, so forgive me for a little amateur enthusiasm, but assuming the bushes or bearings haven't gone (which you would have noticed before the failure), I can't imagine why you would need a whole new fan assembly. Bet you can fix it!

 

[mlsports]

Fan

I believe that the fan has burnt itself out.

The aircon never worked since I bought the car - the EC light was always on. I had the aircon recharged, didn't solve it. I then got a garage who specialises in aircon to get it out of the EC locked mode. But the fan failed shortly afterwards.

I've heard that if the aircon is not operating (blowing its charge) then the motor can burn out through sheer stress as it has no assistance from the aircon? That's what I heard anyway.

I don't mind getting a replacement fan as I'm sure that it will solve it. It's just knowing which fan to get as I'm sure there must be loads of different ones - even though they do the same thing! :?

Any ideas?

 

[eric242340]

E320 Air con

On top of your fan you will find a small black box and its quite easily disconneted, replace this and your problems should be over. It is possible the motor has burnt out but very unusual. This little black box controls the fan speed and is always a problem. With the control unit (black box) you should recieve a tube of white cream. This is to be smeared on on the underside of the control unit and acts as a heat sink. You could probably get one of these from a breaker, but as i said they commonly go wrong, so another from a breaker may be no use.

 

[shj]

You say the EC light was always on,which actualy means off.

 

[eric242340]

E320 Air con

You say the EC light was always on,which actualy means off.

Off? please explain more clearly. Thanks eric.

 

[shj]

Eric, on my car when the EC light is on it means the aircon is switched off,I know mine is a W124, but as I understand it is still the same system.

 

[mlsports]

air con

The EC light is on when it is in 'economy' mode, which means that it does not actually blow the cooled air through - it just puts ambient air through.

So, EC means the air con is effectively off, as it will not blow cooled air in this mode.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

To get the whole thing out is a rather massive job, however you shouldn't need to pull everything out. I don't see how a fan can 'burn itself out' unless its run dry. Even then it should work again once free.

The fan may have siezed - and heavy lubrication might get it going again. When you get it out, spray a fair bit of penetrating oil into the bearing, and leave it to settle. Spin it with your fingers to get the oil in further.

Testing the fan should be an absolute doddle, a PP3 battery across the fan terminals should get it spinning in both directions. Make sure you unplug it first. You may have to flick it to get it going, some small motors have internal pony motors to get them moving.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w21...regulator-replacement-2000-e320-pictures.html

http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=85573

http://forum.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=153918

I have another big guide somewhere that involves the entire dash coming out to get the aircon unit out for a service, I'm trying to find it. I should add its more likely the regulator has gone, not the fan.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?messageID=219509

 

[mlsports]

climate

Oh yes, it's the digital climate control type rather than the two manual dials type. Not sure i fthat makes a difference?

 

[eric242340]

E320

To get the whole thing out is a rather massive job, however you shouldn't need to pull everything out. I don't see how a fan can 'burn itself out' unless its run dry. Even then it should work again once free.

The fan may have siezed - and heavy lubrication might get it going again. When you get it out, spray a fair bit of penetrating oil into the bearing, and leave it to settle. Spin it with your fingers to get the oil in further.

Testing the fan should be an absolute doddle, a PP3 battery across the fan terminals should get it spinning in both directions. Make sure you unplug it first. You may have to flick it to get it going, some small motors have internal pony motors to get them moving.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w21...regulator-replacement-2000-e320-pictures.html

http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=85573

http://forum.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=153918

I have another big guide somewhere that involves the entire dash coming out to get the aircon unit out for a service, I'm trying to find it. I should add its more likely the regulator has gone, not the fan.

When i said little black box (I couldent remember its real name) and you just hit it, the fan speed regulator. Some days my brain goes to sleep.

 

[eric242340]

E320

The EC light is on when it is in 'economy' mode, which means that it does not actually blow the cooled air through - it just puts ambient air through.

So, EC means the air con is effectively off, as it will not blow cooled air in this mode.

[/QUO
Confussion gone. many thanks.

 

[mlsports]

Garage update

I spoke to the garage who ordered in the fan (wrong one).

He says that it does not work as-is because it is the wrong model (it came out of an E class Mercedes of a similar age apparently, and is a Mercedes fan), but the auto-electrician can get it to work with a bit of modification. Apparently they have been able to make a Peugeot fan work in a Mercedes before and say that most things are possible.

Not sure how they would do this? If the connector is different then that's easy enough I guess - but if there's a voltage difference or something like that then maybe they put a resistor in to get the right current?

Has anyone heard of this before???

 

[eric242340]

E320 Air con

Well if your going to sell the car anyway, why worry. But if keeping the car I wouldent risk this type of repair on a Benz.

 

[mlsports]

Sale

Yes, I'll try it I guess - if it works. After all I'm selling it on so as long as it works then that's fine. I'm not holding my breath though!

 

[Parrot of Doom]

If the impedance of the fan is different than what the car is expecting, you can create further problems up the chain especially if the fan's internal resistance is too low.

Stick to the correct part for the car. Don't bodge it.